"I didn't think of it as art": Local doctor honored for his work outside the hospital

• Dr. Lee Riley treats cancers at St. Luke’s University Health Network, but in his free time, he sculpts
• He is the recipient of ArtsQuest’s Linny Award for Visual Artist of the Year
• Linny Awards event is Nov. 9 at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — When he’s not treating cancer patients, a doctor at St. Luke’s University Health Network turns his talents to art.

By day, Dr. Lee Riley works at St. Luke’s Cancer Center, but once his stethoscope comes off, the sculptor comes out.

“I'd say 95 percent of what I do has glass in some way,” Riley, a surgical oncologist, said.

“I took a class in what's called cold working, which is a very ancient technique where you grind crystal glass and cut it and carve it and then you polish it until it's crystal clear.”

Riley said creativity runs in the family, as his grandmother was an artist.

However, after the loss of her young daughter, Riley’s aunt, to breast cancer, his mother and grandmother steered him into medicine.

“I think I was probably wired to be an artist from the beginning," he said.

"But then my mother for the most part really probably steered me into cancer and cancer research, which I am very passionate about trying to take care of people and come up with a cure for cancer."

'I'm a surgeon, a science guy'

Riley now is being honored for his work outside of the hospital. He’s one of the nine Linny Awardrecipients for 2023, taking the award for Visual Artist of the Year.

"The one reason I liked the idea of trying to get the award was I'm a surgeon, science guy," he said.

"I started dabbling in art, we got into the Banana Factory [a Bethlehem art facility], my wife and I, because we wanted to find hobbies as we grow old together that we could do together and we had a lot of fun taking a lot of classes."

The art awards recognize creators throughout the Lehigh Valley practicing in different art mediums. They are named after the late Marlene “Linny” Fowler who was an artist and philanthropist.

Fowler co-founded ArtsQuest’s Banana Factory Arts Center.

“Several of the ArtsQuest boards, including the Foundation, the Performing Arts Board and the Visual Arts Board are involved in the selection process for many of the recipients and we were honored by all of the applications," ArtsQuest Chief Executive Officer Kassie Hilgert said.

"It’s a clear indication of the depth and breadth of artistic talent and philanthropic support of the arts in the Lehigh Valley."

'I didn't think of it as art'

Riley is on the Visual Arts Board that decides who gets the awards, so he had to abstain from the voting this year.

Riley said he originally planned to submit for the “emerging artist” award, but that award is given to people 18 to 30 years old.

Instead, he went for the visual artist award and was flabbergasted when he learned he was on the receiving end.

“I didn't think of it as art," Riley said. "I just wanted to make some small sculptures that I could leave for my children and the grandchildren and great-grandchildren that I would probably never know, as kind of a piece of me because that's what I cherished about my grandparents.”

He said he credits his success as an artist to the art community at the Banana Factory.

“I don't think it would have ever happened without taking a regular non-artist guy, like I took art history as an elective in college, and other than that my artist background is pretty limited. I can't draw," he said.

"I definitely can't paint, but the Banana Factory made me who I am, or ArtsQuest [did]."

The Linny Awards ceremony will be on Nov. 9 at Musikfest Cafe.